Acer Helios 18 AI with 290HX+ and Nitro 16 with Ryzen 9 9955HX3D option
Acer has announced the Predator Helios 18 AI, its new flagship gaming laptop for Computex 2026. The system is listed with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory.
This is the same processor that previously appeared in an Acer Predator leak before Intel formally introduced the Core Ultra 200HX Plus series. Acer has now confirmed the final system as the Predator Helios 18 AI, model PH18-I71.
The laptop supports up to 256GB of DDR5 memory and up to 6TB of total storage. Acer lists three PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD slots, which is still rare for a mobile system. The company also confirms two Thunderbolt 5 ports, Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x, Intel Killer Ethernet E5000B and Bluetooth 5.4.
18-inch Mini LED panel with dual-mode refresh support
The Predator Helios 18 AI uses an 18-inch 16:10 Mini LED display with a 3840×2400 resolution. Acer lists 1000 nits brightness in HDR mode, Calman Verified color accuracy with Delta E below 2, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, NVIDIA Advanced Optimus and NVIDIA G-SYNC.
Source: ACER
The display also supports a dual-mode configuration. Users can switch between 4K at 120Hz and Full HD at 240Hz. This gives the laptop one mode for higher resolution and another mode for higher refresh rate.
Acer is using dual 6th Gen Predator AeroBlade 3D fans, vector heat pipes and liquid metal thermal grease. The company says each fan uses 100 metal blades with a thickness of 0.05 mm. Acer claims this design increases airflow by 20% compared to generic plastic fans.
Acer Nitro 16 gets Ryzen 9 9955HX3D option
Acer also announced the Nitro 16, a separate 16-inch gaming laptop that will be offered with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor. This is Acer’s first gaming laptop with this CPU option. The system can also be configured with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU with 12GB of GDDR7 memory.
Source: ACER
The Nitro 16 features a 2560×1600 display with up to a 240Hz refresh rate, up to 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a response time of up to 3 ms. The laptop supports up to 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory and up to 2TB of storage through two PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD slots.
Acer also lists USB4 Type-C, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3+, an FHD IR webcam and a 92Wh battery. Cooling is handled by a dual-fan, quad-intake, quad-exhaust layout with vector heat pipes.
| Acer Computex 2026 Gaming Lineup | ||
|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | Predator Helios 18 AI | Acer Nitro 16 |
| Model | PH18-I71 | AN16-A91 |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home / Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus | Up to AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D / Ryzen 9 9955HX |
| Graphics | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, 24GB GDDR7 | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, 12GB GDDR7 |
| Display | 18-inch 16:10 Mini LED, 3840×2400, HDR mode, 1000 nits, Calman Verified Delta E<2, 100% DCI-P3 | 16-inch 16:10, 2560×1600, up to 100% DCI-P3, up to 240Hz, up to 3 ms |
| Refresh rate | Dual Mode: 4K 120Hz or FHD 240Hz | Up to 240Hz |
| Display features | NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, NVIDIA G-SYNC | NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, NVIDIA G-SYNC |
| Memory | Up to 256GB DDR5 | Up to 32GB DDR5-5600 |
| Storage | Up to 6TB total, three PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD slots | Up to 2TB total, two PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD slots |
| Cooling | Dual 6th Gen Predator AeroBlade 3D fans, vector heat pipe, liquid metal thermal grease | Dual-fan, quad-intake, quad-exhaust cooling, vector heat pipe |
| Connectivity | Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x, Intel Killer Ethernet E5000B, Bluetooth 5.4 | Intel Killer Ethernet E3100G, Wi-Fi 6E RZ616:E, Bluetooth 5.3+ |
| Ports | 2× Thunderbolt 5 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, 3.5 mm audio, RJ-45, DC-In, Kensington Lock | USB4 Type-C, 2× USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, 3.5 mm audio, RJ-45, DC-In, Kensington Lock |
| Audio | 6 speakers with Predator Vox, DTS:X Ultra | 2 speakers with DTS:X Ultra |
| Camera | FHD IR webcam with PurifiedView AI assistance | FHD IR webcam with PurifiedView AI assistance |
| Battery | 99Wh | 92Wh |
| Dimensions | 400.96 × 307.9 × 17.3 to 29.55 mm | 356.78 × 275.5 × 22.05 to 27.95 mm |
| Weight | 3.5 kg | 2.5 kg |
| Availability | North America and EMEA in August 2026, Australia in Q4 2026 | North America and EMEA in August 2026 |
Acer has not confirmed pricing for the new Predator Helios 18 AI, Nitro 16 or Nitro Blaze Link. Exact configurations will depend on the region.
